The British attempt to invade the province convinced many north carolinians problem can' be solved. "Independence seems to be the word" Robert Howe told friends back in Brunswick. On April 12, 1776, the Provincial Congress passed the Halifax Resolves. The Resolves authorized the delegates in Philedelphia to join their colonies seeking independence. Within months, the great document was read publicly in front of every courthouse in North Carolina. North Carolina became the first of 13 colonies to endorse the independence movement. William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, and John Penn were the three north carolinians to sign the Declaration of Independence.
